Posts Tagged 'Windows upgrade'

Should I upgrade to Windows 10? For most people the answer is yes. If you are currently running Windows 7 or 8.1, you undoubtedly know that Microsoft is offering a free upgrade to the newest version of Windows – Windows 10.

— My Experience – I have been using Windows 10 for the past month on my main PC, and have experienced very few issues. I upgraded from Windows 7 to Windows 10 on a new self-built PC. The upgrade was practically perfect, with only the video driver needing to be re-installed; everything else worked flawlessly. With the correct video driver installed, my new PC hummed along for 3 weeks … and then, Microsoft began issuing updates. One of these updates failed, and daily attempts to re-install also failed. A week of Googling did not find a solution. The Windows 10 subreddit finally provided a cure and all is well once more.

— The Good – It’s difficult to find any features that make Windows 10 a must-have. The most important thing is that Microsoft did not mess up anything too badly and they rolled back most of the Windows 8 changes that users hated. The Start menu is back and most of the ‘Metro’ touch interface has been hidden. A Windows 7 user will not feel completely lost on Windows 10.

— The Bad – As with every new version of Windows, Microsoft moved around and hid numerous features and controls. They did an especially good job hiding the Control Panel. It cannot be found in any of its old locations, but it is easily accessed with ‘Windows key + X’ keyboard shortcut. The Start Menu may be back, but it isn’t the Windows 7 type menu. I didn’t like the tiles on the menu, nor the inability to customize the menu, so I installed Classic Shell. It brings back the classic Start Menu, with tons of adjustments, and it’s free.

Who should not upgrade – Anyone running Windows Media Center should avoid Windows 10. Windows Media Center has been removed from Windows 10 and is no longer supported.

— — — — The Bottom Line — — — —

Windows 10 is the future, so resistance is futile. However, you may want to wait. The free upgrade is being offered until July of 2016, and a major update to Windows 10 is scheduled for November 2015, so waiting a couple months may be prudent. Much has been written about privacy issues with Windows 10, but I feel these concerns are overblown. Some default privacy setting may be less than ideal, but they can be changed. I think most users will be happy with Windows 10. If not, you can revert to your previous version of Windows anytime in the first 30 days.